Demographics report card, Rodney Local Board area 2016

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​This local board area is predominately rural, but is characterised by
smaller townships and residential settlements, including Warkworth, Wellsford,
Matakana, Leigh, Omaha, Huapai, Kumeu, Muriwai and Helensville.

Key features of Rodney include a proliferation of lifestyle blocks and
holiday homes in certain areas, a large number of retirees, and the dominance of
primary industries such as dairying, horticulture, winemaking and forestry.

Several regional parks of outstanding beauty are located in this local board
area, such as Tawharanui, Mahurangi, Wenderholm, Scandrett, Atiu Creek, Te Arai
and Pakiri.

Quick facts

4% of regional population

42.6 yrs Median age

13,840 employees work in the local board area (2015)

91% European, 10% Māori, 3% Pacific, 3% Asian

21% born overseas

$70,100 Median household income

66% of residents employed

31 schools ranging from decile 2 to 10 (2016)

9162 businesses in the local board area (2015)

Population

The Rodney Local Board area has experienced relatively high population growth
in recent years. Between the 2006 and 2013 censuses, the population increased by
11 per cent, higher than the regional growth rate of 8 per cent during that
time.

In 2013, the local population was slightly over-represented in the 65 and
over age group, and under-represented in age groups between 15 and 64 years,
when compared with the regional population. The median age was 42.6 years,
higher than the regional median of 35.1 years.

The majority (79%) of residents were born in New Zealand, and of those born
overseas, nearly half (45%) had been in New Zealand for 20 years or longer. Half
of those born overseas were born in the United Kingdom.

Households

In 2013, there were 20,058 households in the Rodney Local Board area, 4 per
cent of the regional count. The median household income was $70,100, lower than
the regional median of $76,500.

Home ownership was relatively high – almost three quarters (73%) of
households owned the dwelling they lived in (including 21% who owned it in a
family trust). The remaining 27% of households rented, and of these, the
majority (98%) rented from private landlords.

Almost a third (31%) of households were couple-only and a further 31% were
couples with children. One in five households (20%) were people living on their
own.

Education and employment

Just under half (49%) of residents aged 15 years and over were employed
full-time and a further 17 per cent employed part-time. Of those employed, a
fifth (22%) were self-employed – the highest proportion across all mainland
local board areas (Waiheke and Great Barrier were higher, at 27% and 31%).

Around 44 per cent were managers or professionals and a further 14 per cent
were employed as technicians and trade workers.

Slightly lower proportions of residents aged 15 years or over had higher
formal education qualifications than across the region – for example in 2013, 18
per cent had gained a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to 25 per cent
regionally, and almost one fifth (19%) had no educational qualifications,
compared with 25 per cent across the region.

Business in the local board

As at February 2015, the Rodney Local Board area accounted for 2 per cent of
all employment and 5 per cent of businesses in Auckland.

A large proportion (39%) of Auckland’s businesses in the agriculture,
forestry and fishing sector are located in the Rodney Local Board area (Franklin
to the south has 38%). This sector has the second largest number of businesses
within the area, after rental, hiring and real estate services, and is
responsible for 11 per cent of local employment.The sector employing the largest
number of people however is construction, with 13 per cent of the local board
area’s employees.

During the period from 2010 to 2015, employment in the area grew by 12 per
cent, adding 1490 jobs (compared to 13% growth across the region). This growth
occurred over a number of sectors, with more than 250 jobs added in each of the
manufacturing, retail trade, and accommodation and food services sectors. A loss
of just over 300 jobs however occurred in the health care and social assistance
sector.

Top five employment sectors (2015)

All data presented here is from the 2013
Census of Population and Dwellings, unless stated otherwise. The census allows
respondents to identify with more than one ethnic group, hence the ethnicity
percentages may sum to more than 100. ‘Business in the local board’ data is from
Statistics New Zealand’s Business Demographic data. School data is provided by
Auckland Council, using Ministry of Education information. A school’s decile
rating indicates the extent to which it draws its students from lower
socio-economic communities. Decile 1 schools are the 10 per cent of schools with
the highest proportion of such students and decile 10 schools are the 10 per
cent of schools with the lowest proportion.